Admitting Love
by ZiggyChaos
Summary: AU Donna and Captain Jack hatch a plan to make the Doctor jealous so he'll admit his feelings towards Donna.


Author's Note: Written as a Secret Santa story on LJ's doctor_donna site.

Donna wasn't sure when she first realized things had changed between her and the Doctor. Maybe it was the times she caught him staring at her thoughtfully, only to have him look away quickly as soon as her gaze met his. Or perhaps it was how he took her to quiet areas of the TARDIS (without her prompting) where they could just sit and relax after life-threatening adventures. Or possibly, and this was the biggest indicator to Donna, it was how he now hesitated when somebody suggested they were a couple, instead of instantly dismissing the idea. Once or twice, Donna thought she'd perceived a hurt expression on his face when she quickly denied the opinion. He'd covered it up quickly, however, then the moment was lost in the escapades that followed.

At various times, she thought he was going to impart something monumental; for some reason, he always let the moment pass, then would seem defeated. For the most part, however, he appeared to be happy, something that was also affecting the the TARDIS, whose hum sounded gentler and contented.

Though she pondered it on and off between adventures and misadventures, Donna mainly shrugged the thoughts aside, simply writing things off as typical Time Lord behavior (though peculiar by human standards). They _had _been traveling together for quite some time, and things changed between people. Maybe the novelty of being with her had worn off and he was comfortable enough around her to be more his "normal" self: an even more mixed up being than he'd been originally. This last thought had Donna shaking her head in confusion, for she felt they were quite compatible as they were.

It was when she was able to discuss her musings with other human that Donna finally realized what was happening.

They had picked up Captain Jack Harkness during a quick trip to revitalize the TARDIS's engines at the Cardiff Rift. Several adventures later found the Doctor and Jack working on some small repairs as the TARDIS floated in the vortex. Donna closed the book she'd been reading in the main library. Uncurling from the comfy chair she had settled in, she got up and found her way to the control room.

"Hey, mates, anybody for tea?"

Jack raised his head from under the console, the sound of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver filling the room. "I could use a break. Doctor?"

"What?" The Time Lord stopped what he was doing, looking from one human to the other.

"Tea, Spaceman?" Donna reiterated with a smile.

"Ah, no," the Doctor said, raising to his feet. He fiddled with the now-silent sonic. "None for me, thanks."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you two go ahead."

Donna shrugged. "Your loss, mate."

"More for us," Jack said, steering Donna towards the door.

They didn't notice the lingering look from the Doctor as they left the control room.

Donna was actually glad that she and Jack had the chance to be alone. She told the former time agent about the changes she'd witnessed. To her surprise, Jack only chuckled.

"I'd wondered when you would finally notice," he stated.

"What do you mean?" Donna paused in sipping her cup of tea.

"Our dear Doctor has finally fallen for one of his companions."

"What? You mean me?"

"As much as I'd like it, Donna, it isn't me. And if it can't be me, I can't think of anybody else I'd rather it was." He took a nibble of chocolate digestive.

The redhead sat, stunned. She set down her teacup. "You think the Doctor's in love with _me_?" she finally asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" He smiled knowingly. "You've fallen for him, too, haven't you?"

Donna looked down at her rapidly cooling tea, then back up. She smiled. "Yes, yes, I have." Just as quickly, the smile fell from her face. "But what can I do about it? You know how he is! If I bring it up, he'll just deny any feelings he might have. If I tell him how I feel, he might just drop me off at the nearest planet."

"He wouldn't do that," Jack chuckled, "but I see your point. We've got to get him to admit his feelings towards you."

"Well, good luck with that!"

They sat silently for a few minutes, then Jack gave her a sly look. "We make him jealous."

"He'd never admit to jealousy."

"He would if he thought we were a couple."

Donna was about to protest when she felt a rush of gentle agreement. It took her a moment to realize what the impression was. She glanced at the walls, then met Jack's gaze with a smile. "It could work. The TARDIS thinks so, too."

Jack held out his hands, palms up. "And who knows the Doctor better than his own TARDIS?" He scooted his chair closer to hers. "Here's what we'll do..."

Operation Make the Doctor Jealous didn't go over as well as they had hoped. Every chance they got, they acted like a couple without overdoing it: hugging, snuggling, flirting with each other when they were around the Doctor. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack would see the Doctor watching them, the Time Lord's eyes unfathomable before he would turn away. Soon, unless they had landed somewhere or he was in the control room working on the TARDIS, he avoided their company altogether. The Doctor never said anything, giving them no indication what was going on in his mind. Or hearts.

Donna began to question their plan of action. Catching Jack alone one day, she asked, "I don't think I can continue this, Jack. The Doctor seems so- are we doing the right thing?"

"I'm not getting any indication from the TARDIS that it's not working. You know the Doctor, he's a tough nut to crack."

"I know," Donna agreed, "but he won't even look at us when we're together. I can't stand around and watch him being hurt by a lie."

The captain was silent a moment, then stated, "You're right. I noticed it, too. I don't doubt he's jealous – image that, the Doctor jealous of _me_! – but you're right, he'll never admit it. He'd let you slip away like he lets so much else slip out of his grasp for somebody else's happiness." He gave the redhead a patented Jack Harkness grin, holding out his arm. "Onward to Plan B."

"Plan B." Donna nodded, putting her arm through Jack's. "Whatever that is."

"Time to 'fess up. _All_ of us," he stated with a significant look at the TARDIS's walls.

They made their way to the control room, only to find the Doctor practically dancing around the console. The time rotor was still. The Time Lord paused when he spotted the two. His smile fell slightly when he spied their interlinked arms, but it lasted only a second.

"Come on, you two! We've landed!" The Doctor scooped up his overcoat, shrugged into it.

"Doctor, we need to tell you something," Donna said, taking a step away from Jack.

"Not now!" The Time Lord stated enthusiastically, though it seemed somewhat forced. "We've got a planet to explore!"

"Doctor, please, it's important."

The Doctor held up an index finger. "It can wait. Let's go."

And he was out the door. Donna shared an exasperated look with Jack before following. Outside, they found their friend quickly striding towards some buildings a short distance away. As they approached what looked like an old village that had gone through a war zone, the two humans tried to talk to the Doctor, who quickly deflected their remarks by pointing out various piles of stone rubble.

"Doctor, there's something we need to tell you," Jack said as they paused near a broken-down wall.

"Would you look at that!" the Gallifreyan suggested as if he hadn't heard. He started forward.

"Doctor," Donna grabbed his sleeve, "will you stop and listen?"

The Time Lord whirled to face them. He gave them a smile. His eyes, however, didn't match his happy expression. "It's all right. I already know. You don't have to tell me."

"You know?"

"I might be a Time Lord, but I don't always miss what's directly in front of my face." With that, he swung around and continued determinedly on his way.

Donna gave Jack a mournful look, at a loss for words.

"This ends now," he stated resolutely. He started after his alien friend, purpose in his step.

The redhead began walking. A sharp crack distracted her attention; she paused, turning towards the wall. Before she could react, an huge section of the wall suddenly collapsed.

"Donna!" The Doctor and Jack hollered simultaneously. Even before the dust could start settling, they were racing back.

The Time Lord's strides were just a little longer than his friend's, so he reached her first. His feet slid on the gravel as he halted by Donna's side, who lay unconscious on her back half-buried under a pile of rubble. He reached out to cradle her head, gently brushing strands of red hair from her face. "Donna?"

Jack fell to his knees on Donna's other side. He gave her a quick eyeballing, noticing she was breathing pretty normally. He quickly pulled out a clean handkerchief, pressing it to the bleeding cut on Donna's forehead. "She's alive, Doctor," he stated.

"We have to get this debris off her, get her back to the TARDIS." The Doctor was holding Donna's right hand.

"I'm on it," Jack, realizing the Doctor would want to stay at Donna's side, jumped up; he began pulling off pieces of rock as quickly as he could. He checked her over for broken bones and bleeding as parts of her body were uncovered. He kept a serendipitous eye on the Time Lord, who continued to kneel by Donna and hold her hand.

"Come on, sweetheart," the Time Lord urged. When Donna moaned slightly, he gave Jack a quick smile. "That's it, Donna!"

Jack grinned at hearing the Doctor's endearment. "She's tough, Doctor, she'll be fine." He got all the smaller pieces tossed aside. A couple larger chunks took a little muscle on Jack's part to remove; however, a big beam lay unrelenting across Donna's legs. Another quick check on the former time agent's part revealed no serious injuries on Donna.

"Doctor, I'm going to find something to help get this last piece off Donna's legs."

The Doctor shifted as if to rise. "I can help-"

"No, you stay with Donna. I'll only be a moment." With that, Jack jumped up, searching the rubble for an appropriate lever.

The Doctor watched him leave, then returned his attention to the injured woman beside him. "Oh, Donna, I'm sorry." He reached out, running a gentle finger along her cheek, then again brushed away some of the ginger hair he loved so much. He sighed sadly as he thought of lost opportunities. But what else could he do? It wouldn't be the first time he lost a companion who'd fallen in love.

Of course, _he_ hadn't been in love with said companions when they'd fallen for somebody else.

"Ah, Donna," the Doctor said, stroking her hair. "I'm such an idiot. It's a little late to be telling you this, but I have to. I know we were only supposed to be friend-mates, but I've, well, I love you, Donna." Biting his lip, he squeezed her hand. He knew what he had to do, though it broke his hearts at the thought of being alone. Again. "Enough to step back and let Jack have you if you'd rather be with him. And I understand perfectly why you'd prefer him-"

"It's you she wants."

The Doctor spun. Unbeknown to him, Jack had returned with the items needed to free Donna from the last of the debris. The head of Torchwood Cardiff stood just a few feet away. "Wha-?" the Time Lord sputtered. "What do you mean?"

Jack stepped forward. The Doctor rose to his feet; the two worked together to get the final chunk of rubble off Donna. "Exactly what I said," Jack stated as they tossed the heavy piece aside. "She loves you, Doctor."

"But, you two-" The Doctor started quizzically as they returned to Donna's side.

"You've heard of jealousy?"

"I still don't understand."

"It was to get you to admit your feelings, Spaceman," came Donna's soft voice.

"Donna!" The Time Lord fell to his knees at her right shoulder. He helped her to sit up, putting an arm around her and leaning her against him. The makeshift bandage on her head fell away, but he didn't notice as he anxiously gave the top of her ginger head a quick kiss. "Thank Rasillon you're okay!"

"I'm fine, Spaceman." She snuggled her head on his shoulder. "Really."

He heaved a heavy sigh, content to have her so close, if only for a little while. Jack kneeling beside them broke the moment. He gave the immortal a look. "So what's this about jealousy, then?"

"We were trying to make you jealous, so you would admit you're in love with Donna. That's why we were pretending to be a couple, to force you to make a move."

"Only you reacted like the alien thing you are and withdrew into yourself instead of getting all jealous and confronting us, or me, with your feelings," Donna said.

"That's where you're both wrong. I _was_ jealous, but I didn't want you two knowing. I was, well, I was afraid if you knew, you'd leave and I'd be alone." He looked away, adding softer, "Again."

Donna pushed upright. She put a gentle hand under his chin, forced him to look at her. She could see the hurt in his eyes; it tugged at her heart. "We didn't mean for you to think that! Oh, Doctor, I'm so sorry!" She flung her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Me, too, Doctor," Jack stated guiltily. "We should have told you from the start."

The Time Lord returned Donna's hug. "It's all right. I should have said something, but it's always been hard for me-" He gently pushed her back to arm's length. "I _do_ love you."

"And I love you, Spaceman." She smiled at him.

"Is it just me or are the hormones starting to fly around here?" Jack queried teasingly. "Get a room, you two. The TARDIS has plenty!"

"I'm sure she'll be happy to show you one, Captain," the Doctor promised. "Along with a few other things."

"Works for me." He rose to his full height, stepping aside to allow the Doctor room to get Donna back on her feet. He chuckled softly when she wobbled slightly, the Doctor quickly supporting her until she felt steady enough to walk on her own.

The Doctor walked slowly, keeping his arm around Donna, unable to take his eyes off her. She smiled tenderly at him, then tugged him to a stop, reached up and pulled his dark head down. Her lips met his. The Doctor shifted, placed his hands on her shoulders and deepened the kiss. After a moment, they drew back. "I don't know what took me so long to admit my feelings for you," he stated.

"It's okay, I'm just as guilty," she assured.

Hand-in-hand, they strode casually back to the TARDIS. Before they could reach for the door, it swung open, revealing Jack's stern face. "Where have you kids been? I expected you home hours ago!"

Her hand still gripping the Time Lord's, Donna stepped past Jack, pausing to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for your help," she said.

"My pleasure," he smiled. As the Doctor scooted past him, he asked, "What? No thank you kiss from you?"

The Doctor grinned. "I don't want to make Donna jealous." He released his hold on Donna, shrugged out of his overcoat. Tossing it over a coral strut, his eyes fell on the time rotor. "Ah, listen how happy my girl is!"

Indeed, the time machine's hum was almost a purr.

Donna came up and tucked her arm through his. "We both are."

The Doctor leaned over to give her another long kiss. Ah, how sweet it was when one finally admitted to being in love!

12/28/10


End file.
